I am doing my best to stay relevant to all the social media outlets available to me as I spread the kaarskoker word.  I am active on Facebook and twitter.  Last week I finally introduced kaarskoker.com into the 21st century with the addition of LIKE and TWEET buttons on every product page!  This allows lovers of the decorative candle covers to share with their friends easily.  If you are on this blog and ‘like’ our product, tell all you know with a simple click of the mouse.

Last month kaarskoker graced the hors d’oeuvres table during the trunkshow to showcase the latest jewelry collection from LubeyLu Designs.  My fave place for custom lampshades, LiT, provided the venue.  Nestled among the baba ganoush, crudites and fresh flowers, kkCANDLESTICKS and sleeves provided the perfect accent for the colorful beaded designs.

Thanks to Emily of LubeyLu for including kaarskoker at your event and sharing the pics!

All I can say is, “OMG!” Before I launched kaarskoker, I sourced replacement candle sleeves on chandelierparts.com, which has the largest selection of candle covers, chandelier crystals and various other- you guessed it- chandelier parts. I have tried to place kaarskoker sleeves on this site since the launch nearly 2 years ago.  On Wednesday, the email arrived and yesterday I saw my product featured on the site: the only product available under ‘DECORATIVE CANDLE COVERS’. I am going to take the exclusion of all other sleeve styles as a confirmation of kaarskoker as the exclusive source for decorative candle covers!

Today between meeting I stopped at my favorite haunt for fab decorating finds, Pacific Galleries at 4th and Lander in SoDo (South of Downtown, Seattle). On today’s list was a pair of pendants for the kitchen above the peninsula.  Imagine my surprise when one of the vendor stalls featured a chandelier for sale and a pair of sconces each of which were adorned with kaarskoker candle covers!  Who is this mystery retailer?

The black bamboo chandelier was paired with kkHOUNDSTOOTH in Black & White.

The white tole sconces featured kkFRETWORK in Red.

I have always loved a good mani/pedi and used the time to catch up on magazines and girl talk. This summer my once guilty pleasure has become a bi-weekly must. I am obsessed (and my bank account is black & blue from all the ‘lucky lucky lavender’)!

As I look into what’s hot for Autumn/Winter 2010, I cannot help but marvel at the colors in the kaarskoker candle cover collection that correspond with the hot palette as chosen by refinery29.

In my kitchen the handmade pewter chandelier has been graced with several patterns of kaarskoker candle covers.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, a new (old) rug was purchased for the seating area in kitchen, which required the light fixture to be muted but still distinct. Check out how cool the unfinished gray pewter looks with the kkSOLID Gold sleeves. The contrast is striking but the colors of the piece overall still read neutral.

One of the best parts of owning and managing kaarskoker is seeing the products of some of the best creatives out there. I follow them (interior designers, graphic designers, photographers, chefs, florists, etc.) on twitter, read their blogs, pour through magazines but sometimes they come to me. Interior designers LOVE kaarskoker candle sleeves for all the reasons I dreamed up the collection: to better a light fixture, create a truly unique design element and keep clients thinking, “WOW!”  Melodie Rubin of House of Ruby recently submitted her use of kkBASKET in Silver & Navy with an iron chandelier and pleated ivory silk shades.  The textures created by the sleeves plays with the eye to lighten the heavy chandelier and the results are a more sophisticated ensemble.  The iron chandelier paired with plastic sleeves takes away from the significance of the material of the light fixture and dripping wax candle covers adds to its vintage aesthetic.  Melodie’s client in California appreciated the updated look the sleeves offer to complement her classic yet contemporary dining room!

Thanks for the submitted photographs, Melodie. Beautiful work!

I am fresh off a trip to the East Coast to meet with the Fashion Lighting Buyers of a large chain of Home Improvement stores.  They absolutely agree that the current offerings of socket covers, or candle covers, could use some updating (see below).

kaarskoker is here to help! Please note, the prices displayed are for other products as this is a mock-up shot.

Although the trip was only 36 hours, I made time for a quick visit with Kat Mulford (and her littlest man, Hobbs) of turq jewelry. Here’s the shot of me in the rental she got!

With the new red rug comes new art taken from other walls in the house, which creates quite a project for these rainy Seattle spring days. My most beloved piece is this red ink piece of a ship on fire from Tony de los Reyes and it typically resides in the living room.  Its new home in the kitchen- where we spend all of our time- will allow me to admire it more.  (I have a thing for paintings, drawings, etc. depicting ships with masts as evidence in our large collection of nautical art.)  My husbands most-beloved piece is “Superhero Deconstructed.”  Now that I have two boys I understand why a grown man still loves superhero themes: Memories of youth.

Next part of Operation Kitchen New Attitude is (FINALLY) kaarskoker candle sleeves on the chandelier.  I am thinking kkSOLID in Gold contrasted with the pewter fixture will make the subtle statement I am looking for so the art can really take center stage.

The wood floors beneath our kitchen table have been, unfortunately, worn by the constant moving in and out of chairs.  We don’t just eat at our table, we live at our table. The kitchen has a view of Lake Washington and is flooded with light even when the Seattle sky is gray and threatening rain.  I shouldn’t be shocked that the floors finally began to break under our many special hours in the space.  I wanted a rug that was old and dirty because it would end up looking as such soon after we acquired it. I found a red, thin woven rug with repeating tribal motifs.  The color means I must change the kaarskoker on my pewter chandelier from Fancy Feather.  I also have to change the artwork in the space, which is fine because I will bring my favorite painting from the living room into the more-frequently populated kitchen.  The kaarskoker candlesticks on the table get new sleeves as well.  Pictured are kkYKNOT Sahara & Gold; kkMARBLE not -yet available on website; and a vintage Arts & Crafts sleeve I found.